Glass Window Designs

Bay windows are specifically designed to enhance the interiors of the house by allowing maximum natural light to enter. Usually, they are meant to highlight a particular view outside the house. Bay window designs are such that the window space projects outward from the main walls of the house. This style of construction forms a bay in the house, where one can spend time relaxing or enjoying the splendid view that the bay window highlights. The bay can also be used as a reading area, a workspace or a display area. Bay windows make the room appear larger and give it a spacious look. Mostly, they are designed in the shape of a polygon along the height of the room. In some cases, they form a box projecting outward from the house that can be used to place potted plants. Bay window treatments are used to 'treat' them with a soothing appeal and also to filter or soften the prolific light they admit. Considering the size and structure of bay windows, designing and decorating them can be a bit challenging. But let's take the challenge and see if we can come up with some do-it-yourself bay window designs and treatments.

Stained Glass Patterns

Ask any average person about stained glass and the reaction will most probably be something along the lines of, 'Oh sure, yeah - it's pretty. I like it.' But there's much more to stained glass than aesthetics. This ancient art form has a rich history throughout the time of mankind and by having it installed in your home, you're literally bringing that history into your daily existence.

Stained Glass Has Historical Roots

Historically, ancient Romans are credited as being among the first to make and use colored glass in architecture. However, stained glass windows really made their mark in Gothic churches - which is rather significant in itself.

This is because Pre-Gothic churches preferred and actually restricted artwork to the surfaces of walls, mosaic floors, or painting canvases. But growing to lavish decoration, the churches began to run out of 'space' and thus started to decorate their windows with stained glass.

Stained Glass Has Spiritual Roots, Too

Spiritually, the stained glass in church offered its patrons a richly colored experience to accompany its richly spiritual sermons. It isn't uncommon to experience the calming effect that sunlight has on us by simply shining through stained glass.

Glass Door Designs

Till a few years back, frosted glass doors were used only in commercial establishments such as offices and shops. However, now, these stylish and sleek looking doors are very widely being used in home interior decorating. Frosted glass doors let the light in like the regular glass doors, but have one advantage over them. These doors diffuse the light and hence nothing is clearly visible through them. Thus, frosted glass doors maintain privacy and at the same time, allow easy passage of natural light into the house, making them an ideal choice for doors in various rooms of the house.

Window Glass Design

Antique glass, if you go by the literal meaning, should be hand or mouth blown glass. This glass was made in two ways, one, blown into sheets, and the other, blown into cylinders. However, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, there has been a rapid and favorable change in the glass blowing techniques. What was earlier blown by mouth, is now blown with the help of machines. The glass made today, is smoother, stronger and definitely more durable than the glass that was made in the yesteryears. Although some may argue that it does not have the same 'feel' as the glass made earlier, that's something they're just going to have to make their peace with. Many glass making companies strive to replicate the same look and feel, and quite a few succeed too, but in the end, we know that even though authentic antique glass is weaker than the ones we get today, we'd prefer to have it, because it will make us the owner of something that was a part of a rich history.

Glass Designs

When pressed glass was invented in the year 1825, pressed glass patterns were referred to as lacy glass. The designs of this type ofglass were produced by employing a technique called stippling. This technique involved decorating the glass with dots on the interiors of the glassware, giving it a rich look. Stippling technique encouraged the production of many objects such as candlesticks, goblets, fancy plates, ornate water jugs and lots more. Later, during the mid 19th century, the formerly called lacy glass adorned a new term for itself and that was pattern glass. Stippling as a technique, gave way to colored glass patterns. The colors introduced were attention seekers in their own way. Blue and green were the colors of the 'royal' class. Nature designs became the backbone of pressed glass pattern decorations. Borders were also introduced to make the glassware look more interesting. The late 19th century saw the onset of opal or opaque glass. Collectors now call it by the name of milk glass. Milk glass got its milky color through the addition of bone ash. The latest to join the list is named the vaseline glass.

Stained Glass Design

Creating or purchasing a unique piece of stained glass can be the perfect addition to any part of your home. A great stained glass piece will add texture, color, and give all of your guests something to admire.

Stained glass is just what you would expect. Basically, stained glass is made of pieces of glass infused with shades of almost any color you can imagine. The pieces of glass are fused together to create stained glass pieces of many sizes and varieties. Sometimes small pieces of glass will come together and represent a scene of something recognizable like a tree, flower, or animal. Other finished works of stained glass will be a collage of colors that do not create anything we recognize.

If you are interested in learning more about stained glass and perhaps even in creating a finished piece or two of your own, the chances are high that you can find a class or a seminar in a town near you. While creating glass does take hard work and patience, you will be happy to learn that almost anyone can learn the skills necessary for making a beautiful work of stained glass. Check in your local newspaper or at a local art shop to see where you might find a stained glass class offered to the public. In a class you will be taught by an expert and able to play around with stained glass until you find a color scheme and pattern that is attractive to your eye. Consider a spot in your home that could used a little decoration and create stained glass that will match that area of your home.

Window Glass

Stained glass panels have been a very popular form of home décor since the 1100s, as techniques and styles have developed a great deal. In fact, stained glass was one of the more popular forms of painting during the Renaissance, as painters believed they could better make use of colors with this method. The reason for this is that the colors would be magnified by the light and, therefore, would look much better than they would on a wall. This type of glass remains very popular to this day and can be used in a number of different situations. It can also be applied to nearly any style of home décor, which makes it particularly appealing to many home owners.

Of course, most people think of Churches when they hear stained glass mentioned, which makes sense because that is where it is often used. The reasoning behind this is that many Churches want to keep as much natural light in the buildings as possible, since this acts as a symbolic connection to God. Therefore, stained glass panels allow these Churches to incorporate religious imagery into these windows, while still allowing as much natural light into the building as possible.